VM curriculum designing
Training material development on VM curriculum designing was lead by VMU and KUL with the involvement of other partners. E-learning centres' staff or other staff members from consortium institutions worked collaboratively online to develop training material with practical assignments and templates, as well as video or audio explanations on how to design VM curriculum and what are peculiarities in such process.
Unit 5. Quality Assurance of Curriculum Design for Virtual Mobility
5.7. Technological solutions
The selection and use of appropriate tools, technology and media is crucial to the success of distance learning programs (see the discussion on use of appropriate technology). Reliability of technology – a technology plan should be in place to ensure that the technology platform used is reliable for the delivery of the course/program.
The success of a virtual course is not so much dependent on the tool as such but more on the use of a tool which is carefully considered beforehand. It is important to note that the choice of tools and their use depend on the aims, the situation, the participants, The tools must be as transparent as possible and the way in which a tool fits an activity is crucial ( Fuente, Fueyo, Menéndez, 2011[1]). Virtual mobility tools as interactive communication tools in general are often categorized into two categories:
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Synchronous tools (facilitating communication between users at the same time), e.g. chat, videoconferencing, web conferencing....)
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Asynchronous tools (facilitating communication between user independent of time), e.g. e-mail, discussion forum, e-portfolio....)
This categorization is not considered to be exhaustive but contains the main tools used in this context. It also could be classified in the following categories:
- Reflective tools: portfolio, weblog.
- Collaborative tools: wiki, blog, discussion forum.
- Communication tools: chat, e-mail, videoconferencing, webconference.
- Social networking tools: social networking based on personal web pages, media sharing, social bookmarking.
- Learning platform.
This classification is not closed, the use of each of the tools depends on the professor’s intention to make use of them, and this classification is for guidance. The characteristics of these categories will be explained in a more comprehensive way in the following paragraphs.
Reviewing technological solutions
Begin by thinking about technological solutions. The questions below will help guide your reflection.
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Learning objects can be edited in virtual learning environment |
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Scanned learning resources are properly readable and of good quality |
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Learners are able to change the font size and contrast colours |
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Learning resources can be easily downloaded to the computer |
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Audio and video resources are easily accessible |
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Audio and video resources are used ethically |
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Audio and video resources are aesthetic |
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Other _________________________________ |
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